Creatures and Objects In a Flash
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: Series of flash fictions about some of the creatures and magical objects from Harry Potter. Based off of a deck of memory game playing cards from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando.
1. The Sorting Hat

**A/N:** This is my second in a series of Harry Potter creatures  & magical objects based on a deck of memory game playing cards I once got from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _Harry Potter_ ; J.K. Rowling does.

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 **The Sorting Hat**

The Sorting Hat's wisdom was unfathomable.

Ever since it was first brought to life by Godric Gryffindor so long ago, it could see into anyone's mind and read it like a book, and perceive accurately what sort of person each wearer of the Hat was, inside and out. As a result, it has always been the infallible sorter of Hogwarts students into each House, with its different traits and talents.

Now there were some who argued that sorting the children and adults into Houses with different traits and abilities caused unhealthy rivalries within Hogwarts. True, there was some friendly rivalry with the Quidditch games, but the Houses also had conflicting views of each other. Gryffindor saw Slytherin as cowardly, greedy, dirty, and vain, doing nothing to save others, just themselves, while Slytherin saw Gryffindor as macho, rash, reckless, and self-righteous, wasting their precious lives away. And Hufflepuff saw Ravenclaw as arrogant, disloyal, lazy, and overly dramatic, competing against each other fanatically, while Ravenclaw saw Hufflepuff as over-exerted, soft, weak-minded, and meek, always accepting people into their ranks who couldn't, or wouldn't, take care of themselves.

Long story short, the point is such people thought that this division and semi-friendly rivalry would eventually lead to Hogwarts' demise, reminding them that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

While Professor Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic understood and acknowledged these concerns, they always insisted that the Sorting Hat knew what it was doing. Godric didn't intend for the Hat to divide Hogwarts against itself, nor did the other founders. He wanted it to place every student in a place where he/she could best nurture their talents, and his wisdom was infused into the spirit of the Hat. The brave and daring could work together to protect the world. The loyal and kind could strive to make the world a nicer place to live. The wise and witty could be the scientists, philosophers and inventors of magic, and the cunning and ambitious could cooperate to achieve success and greatness in life and use it to excel at every facet of life. And so far, even with all its rivalries, Hogwarts has shown no signs of disintegrating from within, not even by the Death Eaters.

And why did Hogwarts need a stoic Hat? Godric made sure that this Hat had its own personality and a sense of humor, too, almost as if it had a life of its own. A good idea to keep the people in Hogwarts from getting bored while discovering where they belonged in the world of magic. A boring or stiff-necked Hat just wouldn't do!

May the Sorting Hat always keep Hogwarts on the right path to discovering the ultimate mysteries of magic!


	2. Fluffy

**Fluffy**

He always did prefer the wild outdoors to being cooped up in a small room with a trapdoor. But then again, Rubeus Hagrid always did have a way of convincing him to do him favors.

Of all the people in Hogwarts, only Hagrid, and possibly Dumbledore, were respected and treated gently by Fluffy, a three-headed dog which guarded the entrance to the lair of the Sorcerer's Stone. Hagrid understood him. He knew that this dog was short-tempered and vicious with people and things he didn't want to treat nicely. But he also wanted to be well cared for, and to feel like an individual, by naming him Fluffy. Now Fluffy wasn't actually "fluffy," but Hagrid had some pleasant thoughts about him that most others wouldn't even consider.

Hagrid thought Fluffy was cute.

He liked the way that Fluffy was so big, and so natural for somebody as big as Hagrid to touch and pet and fondle. But Fluffy was also loved for his unique personalities in each of his heads. The right-paw head was "smart," always remembering what it was tasked to do, the left-paw head was "alert," being constantly on the alert for trouble and danger, and the middle head was "sleepy," always falling asleep fastest and being the last one to fully wake up.

Hagrid had always thought Fluffy was adorable for these features, as he did for other dangerous creatures, but nobody else did. Hagrid supposed that everybody else just looked at the vicious danger of the beast, and didn't stay aware that it's only an animal with a desire to be wild. They also didn't notice that Fluffy could be calmed simply by playing music, almost any kind of music; they just wanted to see him run away, leave them alone, or die.

Now, however, the Sorcerer's Stone was destroyed, and its chamber was rendered invalid. With nothing left to guard, it was time to release Fluffy. The dog's three heads barked and howled loudly as he sped to the freedom of the wild again.

Hagrid would miss him, but he knew that somehow, Fluffy would be happy with his new life. Being a guard has its rewards, but the Forbidden Forest is a much more worthy challenge for a three-headed dog.


	3. Hogwarts Express

**Hogwarts Express**

 _Platform 9 and 3 quarters. What a quaint, yet ironic name for the place where students ride me to Hogwarts._

 _Sometimes I can't believe how ignorant and stupid those Muggles are who wander around the "normal" platforms. Students who are brave, loyal, smart, and cunning go through the magical wall to my platform so often every year, and every Muggle in the area turns two blind eyes to it. And when students and their parents talk about Platform 9 and 3 quarters out in the open, the oblivious Muggles also turn two deaf ears to it. Personally, I think that grouchy old Muggle conductor who works on the Muggle platforms is the sickest individual I've ever heard of, the way he callously insulted Harry Potter's curiosity when he first came to Hogwarts._

 _But enough of complaining about Muggles. It's my duty, at the beginning and the end of every school year, to shuttle students to Hogwarts for their studies in witchcraft and wizardry. Even with the stupid Muggles back in their world, I couldn't have asked for a better job. I can still remember the day I first awoke, when a Hufflepuff witch enchanted my engine, caboose, and wheels to come to life. Heaven, this is the life, and is it entertaining, listening to students talking to each other about magic, first years becoming acquainted, eating candy confections like Chocolate Frogs and collecting their collector cards. Helga Hufflepuff is my personal favorite; except for Albus Dumbledore, the passengers get more of her cards on board me than anyone else in Hogwarts history. I don't know why; I suppose I just have a thing for Hufflepuffs._

 _It's a pleasure choo-chooing through the forests separating the wizarding world from the Muggle world, even after it starts to change to the Forbidden Forest. To breathe the fresh air and observe the passing scenery is a joy which would move me to grief if someone denied it to me. And the centaurs are a splendid sight running through the trees, even when they're at their most dangerous (they never attack me, or my passengers)._

 _No other enchanted machine in the wizarding world gets the pure happiness of being a transport for so many eager new minds and bodies, not even the Knight Bus. I get to carry so many at once, they don't get taken for a joy ride, and they have a good view, candy, and company to keep them busy. Nobody ever freaks out within my walls, and it's such a relief that I don't have to put up with any noise besides my own engine. Life is good for the world's only living freight train, Hogwarts Express._

 _I only hope the Dark wizards never succeed in destroying Hogwarts, because if they do, I'm out of a job, and possibly out of a life, too._


End file.
